Tip replacement
- Thread starter gkloop
- Start date
I agree with that, it is tempting to let it stay because they usually play great then but do take care of the ferrule.
There is # of tips in getting a tip in shape, my way is to take it down right away to "players size" and then I break with it to make it "sit", this way I have a tip that plays good very fast.
Chrippa
I find it plays best when it's down as well. So why is it? Is it because I like a soft tip and when it's get down to that perfect depth it's gets firmer? If that's the case, why not start with a med tip? I know these layered tip are kinda thick to start out so why do they make them so thick? If you are down to 2-3 layers, you lose the "squishyness" of the tip right?
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I agree with the comments above. A dime thickness is the old rule of thumb and it has worked well for me.
If you are like me and others in this thread who like tips as they age and become thinner, my advice is to start playing with hard layered tips (some medium layered tips, like Kamui and Moori are fairly hard to start and are also great IMO). They play great when they are new, little/no mushrooming, and they last a long time. I have been playing with a couple of these tips for several years and expect to get quite a bit more service out of them. I used to smash down and replace Triangles and LePros annually.
If you are like me and others in this thread who like tips as they age and become thinner, my advice is to start playing with hard layered tips (some medium layered tips, like Kamui and Moori are fairly hard to start and are also great IMO). They play great when they are new, little/no mushrooming, and they last a long time. I have been playing with a couple of these tips for several years and expect to get quite a bit more service out of them. I used to smash down and replace Triangles and LePros annually.
I may be breaking from the conventional thinking on this one. I like to be proactive on my tip maintenance. Since I've been using layered tips (and I don't plan to go back to singles), I try to replace mine when I start to notice the difference in the "feel" of my hit. This usually does happen near "dime width" anyway, but has happened closer to "nickel width". It might be due to the glue affecting the layers, or lack of layers and acting more like a single. Anyway, its definitely a long time between tips for layered, than for singles on how often I play. Additionally, I usually use the hard ones, so this makes it even longer. So to restate, I judge it by how it feels rather than some determined thickness. BTW: I've had tried some of the cheaper layered tips and had layers peel away. Poor gluing process I suppose. Obviously, this caused me to replace the tip than to keep playing with a tip that was falling apart. When I was using singles more, I would replace often, but they were cheap anyway. Too much trouble, and that's more the reason why I went with the hard layered. They just last longer, and I've gotten used to the feel.
i have a carbon pad on mine so when i get down to a single layer it's time to swap. A damaged ferrule can be fixed fairly easily if you have a friend with a cue lathe but could be an expensive fix. I don't like to push the limit but feel the tip plays the best at 2-3 layers.
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i agree, 2-4 layer is when the tip plays the best but why???
does it get firmer? I noticed that when new tips are replaced, there is a break in period for the tip as well.
my soft tips feel kind of med/hard when first installed, I end up shaping and burnishing them for a week or so before they seem to "loosen up".
Why would I have to "pound" the tip to loosen it up? wouldn't that make the tip firmer? and if the tip plays best at 2-3 layers then wouldn't it be then a Med/firm tip anyways by that time?
I never liked the feel of med or hard tips (when newly installed) but do I really play with one when it gets down to 2-3 layers????
thoughts?
does it get firmer? I noticed that when new tips are replaced, there is a break in period for the tip as well.
my soft tips feel kind of med/hard when first installed, I end up shaping and burnishing them for a week or so before they seem to "loosen up".
Why would I have to "pound" the tip to loosen it up? wouldn't that make the tip firmer? and if the tip plays best at 2-3 layers then wouldn't it be then a Med/firm tip anyways by that time?
I never liked the feel of med or hard tips (when newly installed) but do I really play with one when it gets down to 2-3 layers????
thoughts?